Announcing a Change in ServiceNet's Organizational Structure

posted Jun 29, 2012, 8:30 AM by James Saccento

Hello Everyone,

I’m writing to officially let all of you know of an upcoming change in ServiceNet’s structure. As many of you know, when Meridian merged with ServiceNet in December of 2009, both organizations’ services included group homes for individuals with developmental disabilities. Meridian’s DD residential programs were in two geographic areas: Belchertown, and the Berkshires. At the time of the merger, Meridian’s Belchertown programs became part of ServiceNet’s DBIS Division, under the leadership of Abbas Hamdan. The Berkshire residential programs remained under the leadership of Jay Sacchetti (Meridian’s CEO), along with Meridian’s other Berkshire programs, creating ServiceNet’s newly named “Berkshire Services Division.” At that time Jay also assumed leadership responsibility for ServiceNet’s Shelter and Housing Services Division, and for the addictions services formerly operated by Baystate Franklin.

Over the past couple of years, we have moved towards standardizing and integrating systems and practices across the two divisions that provided DD residential services; and beginning this coming fiscal year, which starts in a couple of days, the Berkshire DD group homes will be fully merging into DBIS, under Abbas’s leadership. Erin Forbush will continue as Director of Operations of those programs, but she will now report to Abbas.

With this move, we will no longer have a formal Berkshire Services Division, but will be fully organized along program lines. Jay will continue to oversee all of ServiceNet’s vocational services, under the Vocational Services Division that we created last year, and which has now grown to include our vocational services at Prospect Meadow Farm. In addition, Jay is currently spearheading the exploration of some significant Shelter and Housing Services expansion opportunities in the Berkshire area. And, of course, Jay will continue to lead the addictions services. Even with these continuing and added responsibilities on Jay’s proverbial plate, it is my hope that the move of the Berkshire DD residential programs to Abbas’s area of responsibility will free up some of Jay’s time to work on further program development in the Berkshires and beyond.

In addition, I hope that this change will further the integration of systems and practices across all of ServiceNet’s DD residential services, along with maximizing opportunities for the sharing of expertise and resources across this program area.